Reports
Discussion Papers
No.826 Labor Market Information and Parental Attitudes toward Women Working Outside the Home: Experimental Evidence from Rural Pakistan
by Momoe Makino
September 2021
ABSTRACT
Women’s paid-work participation remains low in South Asian countries even though it is considered crucial for development and alleviation of poverty. Prior qualitative interviews have revealed the general lack of knowledge on labor market opportunities for women workers. This study aims to investigate whether providing parents with information on income earning opportunities for young women is effective in changing parental attitudes toward women working outside the home. A randomized controlled trial was conducted within commuting distance of formal export-oriented garment factories in rural Pakistan. The estimation results show that provision of information about working conditions and environments is effective in influencing positive changes in parental attitudes toward women working in garment factories. Given the strong stigma associated with women working outside the home, especially in factories, I believe that the observed positive transformation forms an encouraging first step toward achieving actual enhancement of women’s paid-work participation.
Keywords: Women working outside the home, Parental decision, Information, Social norm, Randomized controlled trial, South Asia
JEL classification: D83, D91, J16, J29, O53, Z13
PDF available at http://hdl.handle.net/2344/00052833
Please note that discussion papers are works in various stages of progress and most have not been edited and proofread and may contain errors of fact or judgment. Revised versions of these papers may subsequently appear in more formal publication series. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). The IDE does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included and accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from its use.